Anti-stealing safety device for purses



Sept. 20, 1966 w. M. DE AZEVEDO 3,273,619

ANTI-STEALING SAFETY DEVICE FOR PURSES Filed Jan. 25, 1964 UnitedStates Patent 6 Claims. (Cl. 150-47 The present invention relates to an improved safety device which may be applied to pocketbooks, purses, wallets, and the like to prevent unauthorized removal of such pocketbook from the pocket of the owner.

An object of the invention is to provide a freely sliding metal piece which when the pocketbook is moved by an unauthorized person will uncover a pin which will then fiasten the pocketbook to the pocket lining and prevent removal thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a substantially flat construction so that in addition to its safety feature this will permit the printing of the owners initials thereon thereby adding to the appearance of such pocketbook.

With the above and other objects in view which will become apparent from the detailed description below 'a preferred modification is shown in the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of the pin used.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the pin shown in FIGURE 1 with a part in cross-section.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a guide rail upon which the pin is mounted.

FIGURE 4 is a side view with parts in section of the construction shown in FIGURE 3 with the pin of FIG- URE I mounted thereon and showing in dotted lines the position of the pin in -a retracted or non-engaging position when covered by the slide (not shown in FIG. 4).

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the metal piece which will slide upon the construction of FIGURE 4 to cover or uncover the pin.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view showing the slidable metal piece in the position to which it has moved upon the structure of FIGURE 3 in order to uncover the pin.

FIGURE 7 is a plan view of the base member to which the elements shown in FIGURE 6 are fastened.

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of the base member as shown in FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of the entire assem bly of elements prior to being fastened to a wallet, and

FIGURE 10 is a perspective view showing the entire device secured to a wallet and in a closed or pin-covered position.

The invention as shown in the drawing comprises four elements 2 a base member which is secured to a wallet or the like as shown in FIGURES 7 and 8, a member having guide nails which secures the base member to the wallet and provides guide rails for a slide and a support for the pin as shown in FIGURE 3, a pin as shown in FIGURE 5 The pin shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 comprises a sharp flexible pin or needle 2 projecting from a base 1. The base 1 is provided with an opening 3. As shown in FIG- URE 2 the needle 2 extends at an angle to the base 1.

The guide rail member shown particularly in FIG- URE 3 comprises a member 4 which is provided at its sides with the guide rails 19 which in turn are connected by the base portion 18. The base portion 18 is provided with a struck up projection 7 upon which the pin 2 is loosely mounted by having such projection 7 extend through the hole 3 therein. In addition the base portion 18 is provided at each end with downwardly bent prongs 5 and 6 which will be used to secure the anti-stealing device to a wallet or the like.

3,273,619 Patented Sept. 20, 1966 "ice Sliding upon the rails 19 is the slide 8 as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6. The slide 8 is provided at its sides with the bent over portions 20 as shown in FIGURE 5 which will clasp the rails 19 loosely and slide thereon. The slide 8 which may be displaced by gravity alone is provided at one end with the downwardly bent portion 9 and at the other end with the upwardly bent portion 10 whereby the slide 8 may be manually moved to desired position. The slide 8 adjacent the portion 10 is provided with an elongated conical identation 17 terminating in an opening 11 through which the needle 2 may project as shown in FIGURE 6. The slide 8 forms the sole means for retaining the base 1 and needle 2 on the projection 7 of the guide rail member 4.

The base member 12 for the construction is shown in FIGURES 7 and 8 and such base member is somewhat cup-shaped by means of the bent over edges 13 and is provided in the base thereof with a slot 14 adjacent one end and a recess 15 at the other end which will receive the prongs 5 and 6 of the guide rail member 4 and such prongs will then be forced through the material or through openings provided in the wallet or other element to which the anti-stealing device is to be applied and the ends of the projections 5 and 6 will then be bent to seure the entire assembly in place.

In operation after being secured in place upon the wallet the user slides the slide element 8 by the projection 10 thereon and holds it in place with the pin in the dotted line position as shown in FIGURE 4 and the wallet is inserted in the pocket with the bent portion 9 towards the bottom of the pocket and is then released in the pocket. Upon unauthorized attempt for removal without retaining the slide 8 in place, such slide will slide to the position shown in FIGURE 6 by gravity and the needle 2 will be guided by the elongated cone shaped indentation 17 to the opening 11 from which it will project as shown in FIGURES 6 and 9 and engage the lining of the pocket thereby preventing removal of the wallet from the pockets. When it is desired to remove the wallet freely, it is necessary to introduce the hand into the pocket and place a finger upon the sliding element 8 by the portion 10 to retain the needle 2 within the slide 8 and thereby prevent any engagement thereof with the lining. In such case the wallet may be easily removed. A similar procedure is suggested for the insertion of the wallet into the pocket.

It is thought that the invention and its advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it is apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

What I claim is 1. A safety device for a purse and the like comprising a base element, a guide rail element mounted on said base element securing said base element to the material of said purse, guide rails upon said guide rail element at opposite sides thereof, a needle loosely mounted upon said guide rail element, a slide sliding upon said guide rails having an aperture therein through which said needle extends when said slide is displaced by gravity in one direction along said guide rails and which covers said needle when located in the opposite direction, said slide forming the sole means for retaining said needle on said guide rail element.

2. A safety device for a purse and the like comprising a base element, a guide rail element mounted on said base element, guide rails upon said guide rail element at 0pposite sides thereof, a needle loosely mounted upon said guide nail element, a slide sliding upon said guide rails having an aperture therein through which said needle extends when said slide is displaced by gravity in one direction along said guide rails and which covers said needle when located in the opposite direction, said slide forming the sole means for retaining said needle on said guide rail element.

3. A safety device for purses and the like comprising a base element having a recess at one end and a slot adjacent the other end, a guide rail element mounted on said base element, a prong at each end of said guide rail element extending at right angles thereto in the same direction to extend through said recess and slot and secure said base element to the material of a purse, guide rails upon said guide rail element at opposite sides thereof,

a needle mounted upon said guide rail element, a slide 5. A safety device as set forth in claim 4 wherein said slide is provided with a conical indentation leading to said aperture.

6. A safety device as set forth in claim 4 wherein said slide is provided at one end with a bent portion for manually manipulating said slide.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 190,751 5/1877 Ferguson 47 1,561,352 11/1925 Parkinson 15047 FOREIGN PATENTS 974,005 9/ 1950 France. 394,805 5/ 1924 Germany.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE O. RALSTON, FRANKLIN T. GARRETT,

Examiners.

M. L. MINSK, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SAFETY DEVICE FOR A PURSE AND THE LIKE COMPRISING A BASE ELEMENT, A GUIDE RAIL ELEMENT MOUNTED ON SAID BASE ELEMENT SECURING SAID BASE ELEMENT TO THE MATERIAL OF SAID PURSE, GUIDE RAILS UPON SAID GUIDE RAIL ELEMENT AT OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF, A NEEDLE LOOSELY MOUNTED UPON SAID GUIDE RAIL ELEMENT, A SLIDE SLIDING UPON SAID GUIDE RAILS HAVING AN APERTURE THEREIN THROUGH WHICH SAID NEEDLE EXTENDS WHEN SAID SLIDE IS DISPLACED BY GRAVITY IN ONE DIRECTION ALONG SAID GUIDE RAILS AND WHICH COVERS SAID NEEDLE WHEN LOCATED IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, SAID GUIDE FORMING THE SOLE MEANS FOR RETAINING SAID NEEDLE ON SAID GUIDE RAIL ELEMENT. 